4WD in rain OK?!?

You could probably engage 4WD on wet pavement going in a straight line for a few minutes but I wouldn't do it in my truck (got hundreds of miles of dirt roads 5 minutes from the house.)

 

OT but your sig is freakin awesome!

<airplane guy

 

this guy knows

 

Just put it in 4x4 on the regular road and just drive straight, then no need worry about binding

 

i say use it when ever you dont feel safe, if you fish tail and hit something youll be so mad you didnt use your 4wd

 

The VSC is a big help in rainy weather if your bed is empty... Almost feels like you are in 4WD when you accelerate on a turn in the rain... and yes, without VSC, just an empty bed truck will fishtail easily in 2WD... NOT so in 4WD. I have done it many times. The front and rear are locked together in 4WD... so this prevents the back end from accelerating 'ahead of' the front... or trying to (fishtailing).

 

WHat kind of damage can be caused by this "binding" as a result of driving on dry pavement in 4wd?

 

Exactly... tires on slippery surfaces can slip and give... Gears cannot slip and give... they just break teeth!

 

I don't know what I'd do with out you man!

Your always on here when I am and are always able to answer my silly questions! Thanks a ton!

Yeah I did experience some binding driving in 4x. but i've only done/experienced it once. knew something was seiously wrong and asked you guys!

Thanks for the help... I guess I have a perfectly good excuse to get my truck all muddy at least once a month! ha

 

Every time I have tried it, it's been nearly impossible to get the truck back into 2wd. To me, that indicates drivetrain bind, and damage waiting to happen.

The last time I tried it was on a truck that had a manual shift transfercase, the lever physically would not move no matter how hard I yanked on it. Had to pull off the pavement and do a burnout in a straight line to unbind the drivetrain. Never done it since.

 

no. and it wont help you in rain. You need to inflate your tires and put skinnies on to prevent hydro

 

you should be fine, just slow down on wet roads, last spring it rained from the end of May to the first week of July and i never used 4x4 for any of it, even on the gravel roads when they are muddy. 2nd gens are heavier than 1st gens and hold the road a lot better due to the weight, will use it though on snow and ice for sure since we get a lot of it here in the winter.

 

The sun visor card says to avoid making sharp turns in 4WD. That matches my experience. Binding is only felt when I pull into a driveway, etc. Even highway cloverleaf off ramps aren't an issue - there isn't a difference between front and rear wheel speeds when the curve is gentle.

I use 4H all the time in the rain. Helps me get a better launch from a standstill. Engine braking is also more effective in 4H. I put it back to 2H before I turn into my driveway. It disengages instantly every time.

BTW, the 4WD system is designed to operate at up to the truck's top speed. The only difference between 2H and 4H is the front prop shaft doesn't turn in 2H. That's also the only reason you need to go into 4H monthly, to lubricate the U-joints in the front prop shaft. In 4L, your top speed is basically limited by redline, since the engine has to turn 2.57x as fast as in 4H, at any given road speed.

 

i sometimes put it in 4wd when im bombin down the mountains while its raining really hard - but thats it.

 

If you are a cautious driver, few safety systems will even need to be engaged. That's why ABS, VSC, RSCA, etc exist... So while you could use 4x4 if you don't feel safe, what about when things feel safe and start swimming up a creek, then what??

Are you also a driving instructor, because bad habits often die hard?

(note: just the 'bombing' down the hill in the rain part)

 

wat will gte lubed by throwing it in 4x4 for 10 miles a month? ive used 4wd twice for a total of 5 mins since i got the truck.. is that bad?? lol

 

If you are fishtailing in rain on pavement , you don't need 4wd , you need to slow down .

 

No, but it inspires confidence! haha ya dont listen to me.

 

Hard to say. The front propeller shaft needs to turn once in a while to spread the grease out in the U-joint pins. That's about it. Are you greasing the propeller shafts with a grease gun once a year as per the maintenance booklet? You know what happens when you don't grease them? http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/su...e-piece-driveshaft-blew-up-while-driving.html

A FWD vehicle at the same speed would handle perfectly fine. 4WD makes up for the truck's nose-heavy weight distribution.

 

Without trying to sound like a dick , where I live it rains for 6 months straight , NOBODY here uses 4WD on pavement , ever .

Maybe you guys have slippery pavement .